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RUSS264
Russian Childhoods
RUSS264 SP
Next Offered in 9899 SP
This course will study representations of childhood,
adolescence, and early adulthood in Russian culture during
the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Various types and
genres of fiction and non-fiction will be considered: from
autobiographies (like Tolstoy's and Gorky's) which are
devoted entirely to "childhood, adolescence, and youth: to
novels or plays or films which are centered on the growth
of their heroes from childhood to young adulthood. The
course will follow several types of meaning that are
expressed in Russian accounts of childhood: the correlation
of childhood and child-oriented adulthood with traditional
Russian culture during a period of rapid modernization;
Rousseau-inspired explorations of the morality of children;
evaluations of schools and universities in the nurturing and
education of individuals; revolutionary critiques of
family-based values; and (the inverse of the latter)
critiques of Soviet attempts to replace family authority
with state authority. Students in the course will do some
autobiographical writing and then compare their childhoods
and adolescences with the Russian versions.
MAJOR READINGS
L.N. Tolstoy, CHILDHOOD, BOYHOOD, YOUTH
S.T. Aksakov, THE CHILDHOOD YEARS OF BAGROV'S GRANDSON
A. Herzen, from MY PAST AND THOUGHTS: NURSERY AND UNIVERSITY
I.S. Turgenev, FATHERS AND CHILDREN
L.N. Tolstoy from WAR AND PEACE: Books 1,4,6,7,8
F.M. Dostoevsky, THE ADOLESCENT
A.P. Chekhov, THREE SISTERS
M. Gorky, CHILDHOOD
A. Bely, KOTIK LETAEV
M. Bulgakov, DAYS OF THE TURBINS
A. Platonov, POTUDAN RIVER
E. Shvarts, THE NAKED KING and LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD
W. Leonhard, CHILD OF THE REVOLUTION
A. Tarkovsky, IVAN'S CHILDHOOD (FILM)
G. Chukrai, BALLAD OF A SOLDIER (FILM)
A. Bitov, PUSHKIN HOUSE
L. Petrushevskaya, STORIES
Philippe Aries, CENTURIES OF CHILDHOOD: A SOCIAL HISTORY OF
FAMILY LIFE
David Ransel (ed.), THE FAMILY IN IMPERIAL RUSSIA
Erik Erikson, CHILDHOOD AND SOCIETY
Andrew Wachtel, THE BATTLE FOR CHILDHOOD: CREATION OF A
RUSSIAN MYTH
EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS
The major emphasis is to read the texts carefully and, while
discussing them in seminar, to learn a set of theories and
methods for understanding artistic texts as expressions of
their culture. There will be midterm and final exams and a
term paper.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS
Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting
or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the
first class, they will be dropped from the class list.
NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form
to the Registrar's Office.
COURSE FORMAT: Discussion Seminar
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Level: UG Credit: 1.00
Gen Ed Area & Dept: HA RUSS
Prerequisites:
None
Last Updated on MAR-10-1997
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